APRIL-MAY 2000

LEADERSHIP GIFTS GET FSU ATHLETICS READY FOR THE FUTURE

In the past year, 14 Seminole Booster families have made "leadership gifts" - pledges of $1 million or more for Florida State athletic scholarships or facilities - designed to set future generations of Seminoles up with scholarships and competitive facilities for training, studying and rehabilitation.
Most of the leading donors have noted overwhelming needs for competitive facilities in many of Florida State's sports.
Some are Florida State graduates who remember playing golf, going to football games or falling in love and learning to make a living on campus.
Others became Noles fans as adults, living in Tallahassee, sending a child to FSU or just adopting a campus they admired.

GORDON AND BETTE SPRAGUE

A 1965 graduate of FSU's recreation management program, Gordon Sprague is now senior vice president and national sales manager of AIM Distributors, the world's seventh largest financial services company.

He and Bette Sprague have asked that their gift to FSU be used for athletic facilities, but have not specified which sport.

"I know what a training facility costs, and I know how antiquated ours is," he said.

A former U.S. Tennis Association umpire, Bette was impressed by FSU's commitment to women's athletics.
"The people we met at FSU want to see a well-rounded program, and that makes both of us happy."

GEORGE AND MARIAN LANGFORD

The Langford gift will benefit athletic facilities and scholarships and support the development of Langford Green on the south end of the University Center Complex. The much-needed green space will include an amphitheater for outdoor presentation of music and plays.

George Langford is a tireless money raiser who has been chairman for academic and athletic money-raising at FSU.

"Everyone will be looking to the leaders of the past. Are they committed? We are not in that class of people who have to look for people to donate our money to, but I know how important it is to set the pace and I am delighted to do it."

Langford is the founder of Municipal Code Corporation.

SHERMAN AND JUDIE HENDERSON

When he was a Florida State swimmer, Sherm Henderson learned what FSU's athletes need. And when he was chairman of the Boosters, he learned about the financial challenges of meeting those needs. He says modern, adequate facilities can mean a competitive edge for future athletes. That's why he and his wife Judiemade such a large contribution.

Henderson is founder, president and CEO of UniDial, a Louisville communications company. "I'm extremely proud that I am able to give back what FSU gave me," he said.

DON AND SARAH REINHARD

Tallahassee natives, Don and Sarah Reinhard went to FSU games as kids, graduated from Florida State, and still enjoy attending athletic events together.

"My wife Sarah and I are big believers that athletics is an important reason Florida State University has succeeded," said Reinhard, past chairman of the Boosters.

Their gift will upgrade facilities, though they have not specified which.

"Florida State really makes you feel appreciated for what you are doing for them," Sarah said.

MARGUERITE WILLIAMS

The late Marguerite Williams, a native of Thomasville, Ga., and a graduate of Duke University, was valued for her counsel to FSU as much as for generous donations.
Her most recent gift, to be used for athletic facilities, will honor her husband, the late Thomas Williams II, who played football at Duke before embarking on a very succesful business career.

"Marguerite is one of the loveliest people I have ever known," said former FSU President Bernie Sliger. "She's been a Godsend to Florida State as well as to many other good causes."

BILLY AND GORDON THAMES

Billy and Gordon Thames, a father-son team of developers in Tallahassee, say they help Florida State athletics because they admire the program Bobby Bowden has built and they believe the Seminoles are a vital economic part of the community.

"The Boosters have been easy to work with, proactive in learning about the issues, and flexible in helping us structure this gift," said Gordon, the younger Thames. The Thameses have become increasingly involved with FSU and now are full-fledged Seminole fans.

DON AND FRAN VELLER

Don and Fran Veller arrived on the FSU campus soon after Florida State College for Women began to accept male students and hired him as the new head football coach.

They adapted and flourished, and have made plans to leave more than $2 million to the football and golf programs that they raised from infants.

"We don't have children so we wanted to give it to a great cause like scholarships and facilities for Florida State golf and football," Don said.

He was a member of six athletic and coaching Halls of Fame.

He was FSU's first undefeated football coach, and its first undefeated golf coach.

At age 88, he still shoots 80 regularly.

MIKE AND WINSOME McINTOSH

Mike and Winsome McIntosh came to know Florida State when their son was recruited to the Seminole track team. While Mark competed, his parents invested time and money in the university. Over the years, the McIntoshes have given more than $1 million, and a considerable amount of their time, to FSU.

They committed $500,000 to build a track training facility.

The building has a strength room, coaches' offices and storage space.

The McIntosh family donated another half million to FSU's Capital Partnership.

Their son Mark, who graduated from FSU and earned a law degree, is now working for the McIntosh Foundation's environmental operations in Alaska.

DAVE MIDDLETON

Dave Middleton, who played golf for Florida State, is now a first vice president and southeastern district director of Merrill Lynch. He believes his gift is a repayment.

"If I had never played sports, if I had not met the people I did at FSU, I would not have seen the big world outside my home town of Thomasville and would not have accomplished what I have."

His gift will pay for locker rooms and modern teaching and training facilities, to be built for the men's and women's golf teams at the Seminole Golf Course.

RON AND CAROLYN HOBBS

Ron and Carolyn Hobbs met when they were students at Florida State.

The Hobbs family name appears within the athletic center, commemorating their $1 million gift for athletic facilities.

"Bobby Bowden told us that the NCAA rules don't allow FSU to do much for athletes (monetarily), but what we can do, what they allow us to do, is give them a super facility to work in," Ron Hobbs said.

He earned a degree in math and physics from FSU and a master's degree in statistics. Carolyn was a recreation major.

REID HUGHES

Volusia County businessman and philanthropist Reid Hughes says he was attracted to Florida State in the 1950s.

"My interest began at a time the football program was relatively unsuccessful, and I caught the underdog disease," said Hughes.

Hughes' support for basketball and baseball led athletic officials to name the basketball practice facilities for him.
The long-time Golden Chief, who is president of Edge Broadcasters and founder of Hughes Oil Company, has also been a generous benefactor to academics.

MANNY AND GERRY GARCIA

Central Florida restaurateur Manny Garcia first met Bobby Bowden in 1977 when the Citrus Bowl was known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Seminoles were better known for losing streaks. Garcia was a rookie bowl representative and Bowden was starting to string Seminole wins together in his second season at the helm.

"I was given the assignment of scouting the lesser teams, so I followed FSU all year," said Garcia, who owned 67 Burger King restaurants until 1996. "They came to the Tangerine Bowl that year, and I became very fond, not just of the way the Seminoles played, but also of the way Bowden handled himself and his players. He's always straightforward and honest."

Garcia's wife Gerry has a degree in nursing from FSU and their daughter Gina Garcia Buell earned her hospitality administration degree from FSU.

The family's gift will go to football.

ANONYMOUS

A gift of $1 million came from a couple in their thirties. The donors have agreed to allow us to tell their story on the condition we do not use their actual names, so we'll call them Mickey and Diane.

Both graduated from FSU, enjoyed their time on campus, believe their educations provided them with a great foundation for life and admire Bobby Bowden.
Their inspiration for donating money to FSU's rehabilitation facility came after a horrific accident changed their lives.

Mickey loved racing, and one day, his car crashed into a wall and his front wheel assembly struck him in the head, sending him into a coma he would not emerge from for five weeks.

"His brain activity was absolutely flat-lined for more than 12 hours," said Diane, who occupied her hours reading nurses' manuals on brain injuries. "The doctors said he'd never come out of the coma. As I sat and watched that monitor, and prayed, I didn't believe he would die."
One morning, Mickey whispered a quiet hello to Diane, and his left side began to move a little.

During his arduous rehab, he learned to write, talk at a normal volume, and regain short-term memory.
Within two years he ran a marathon.

They decided what their gift would be.

"When someone is injured we want them to have every opportunity to recover," Mickey said. "If their injury prevents them from competing in their sport, then at least we want them to be able to recover enough to have a healthy life in whatever they choose to do."

Send a letter to the Editor:fstimes@unicomm.fsu.edu

Copyright ©2000 Florida State Times